Prince Cafe
by RavenCurls
Summary: Fiyero was drawn to the little green café at the edge of the campus, ran by the emerald skin Fabian. Fiyeraba AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N To LittleMissDelirious, for tapping her foot impatiently. I just had to push out the chapter for you.**

Fiyero Tiggular, Crown Prince of the Vinkus Arjiki Tribe, ladykiller, Oz's most eligible bachelor (according to the latest issue of Ozmopolitan), and self-proclaimed dancing-through-life extraordinaire woke up, on a bright morning, and wondered where he was.

The mattress felt unfamiliar.

He looked up. The plain ceiling with the peeling paint looked unfamiliar. The bare walls looked unfamiliar.

He turned and looked at his arms. No, there was no girl sleeping in his arms, so he could not have spent a night in a girl's bedroom. Of course there was the possibility that the girl in question had gone to the bathroom, but they usually did not, as more than one of them had told him how much they loved being in his arms. Moreover, he did not remember going to bed with a girl, although there were times where he could not remember going back to his room with a girl, but those were the times were he was far too drunk, and he did not feel as if he had a hangover at that moment.

Last, but not least, he did not think that any girl with good taste (good taste = interested in him) would leave her room in such a bare, deplorable state. He could almost feel depression sinking in just by looking at the ceiling.

He peeked towards the foot of the bed, at the bathroom door. The door was closed.

_So maybe_ there was some girl. Though tried as he might, he could not remember the face.

Just then he heard the sound of running water before the bathroom door opened, and Fiyero quickly closed his eyes. And then he opened one eye just by a little bit.

No, it was not a girl. It was a boy. A short boy. A Munchkin.

He sat up sheepishly. "Oh, good morning, Biq."

The Munchkin looked at him.

"Its Boq. And good afternoon. And Galinda will be here soon."

And then he remembered. There was a girl.

It all came back to him then. Yesterday was his first day in this new school. Shiz University. His third or fourth university. It was not so bad, but the truth was that he had changed quite a few schools before he started university, so the 'death count' added up. It also meant that he was usually older than his classmates, but that had never a problem when it came to dating girls.

He arrived on a Saturday afternoon, when the mood to party was in the air. He arrived in style, and as expected, was approached by a pretty girl almost immediately. Some things would never change.

"Is this your first day here?" she asked, batting her eyelids. The girl had fair skin that most probably had never been exposed to sunlight and rose-petal lips. Her hair was blonde and curled at the ends. Her makeup was immaculate, and she wore a pastel pink sundress that had just been featured in some fashion magazine last week.

He told her yes.

"Welcome to Shiz University. My name is Galinda. Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands," she gave him a hand to kiss. He obliged, of course.

"I'm Fiyero Tiggular…."

As expected, her eyes grew wide at the mention of his name.

"Fiyero Tiggular, the Vinkun prince? No wonder I find you familiar!"

Fiyero raised his eyebrow.

"I major in history, Fiyero."

Now that was a new line.

"Am I in your history book? I am not that old," he teased her.

Galinda giggled. "Oh, and I read Ozomopolitan." That explained it.

Galinda linked her arm through his.

"So what brings you to Shiz University?"

"A love for learning, and for enjoying life," he said airily.

Truth was, he did not mind learning, so long as it did not interfere with enjoying life. But he found that the professors always made the topics sounded so dead boring. His mind would inevitably drift away and he would lose interest once he was not able to catch up. He picked up non-academic things very fast, and he knew that he was not stupid. If only studying was more interesting.

Galinda brought him to the administrative office, where he met the goldfish head mistress. Of course she was not a goldfish. She was Gillikinese, tall with more layers of fat than any fish could lay claim to. The red on her hair was obviously artificial. She had bulging eyes that were emphasized with her overly use of gold eye shadow. She wore this huge, tent-like dress with hues of red and gold and a wide collar that opened up and frame her face, making her short neck looked even shorter. He supposed that the loose dress was supposed to hide her fats, but it seemed to emphasize it instead. She stood up to shake his hand and then settled herself on her big leather chair for the rest of the interview.

Madame H Morrible (Horrible Morrible? Who would do that to their own children? Maybe she was an orphan and the name was given by a vicious group of maunts, Fiyero thought), for that was her name, was not impressed with his looks and title. She took out a bunch of keys from her drawer and threw it to him callously after he had submitted the form that his mother had so painstakingly filled up before he left for Shiz (and befitting his royal upbringing, he still had to thank her for the keys, though he did flip off at her direction under the table).

"Room 221B, Ozma Towers," was all she said.

Well, a dormitory named after a previous ruler. That should not be that bad.

At least, that was what he thought until he opened the door and saw, to his horror, that it was not a suite. It was a small room, with sparse furniture that had seen better days. Like maybe two centuries ago. To make it worse, there was another student inside the room, on one of the two beds. Two beds; which meant that the room was shared.

"There is no mistake, Mr Tiggular," was Madame Morrible's reply when he went back to the administrative office. She gestured to a banner behind her seat.

_All students are equal, and none are more equal than others_, it read.

"And that includes you, Mr Tiggular. All our rooms are co-shared and have the same amenities. In Shiz University, we do not show preferential treatment to students just because they are rich or famous. You may leave if you are not happy with the arrangement. I have plenty of students who are waiting to come into Shiz University."

Well, he was very sure she did not give this speech about equality when she accepted that humongous donation from his parents for the new building.

Fiyero stood up with the intention to leave and then remembered his reason for trying yet another university. He did not sit down again, but picked up the bunch of keys that he had thrown on the table.

"I will stay," he said.

Madame Morrible did not seem to be surprised by his sudden change of mind.

"Very well," she said, and dismissed him.

"Well, having a roommate is not so bad," Galinda consoled him on the way back to his room. "It just needs getting used to. I can help you to decorate your room if you want."

By the time he had gone back to Room 221B (the B was his bed number) and settled down, it was evening.

It was Saturday and so the prince was not surprised when Galinda announced that she had an appointment – she was going to Ozdust, the swankiest place in town, with her friends. Needless to say, he was invited.

Ozdust lived up to its reputation. There was a live band playing the latest music, a big dance floor and many comfortable couches and tables. The waiters appeared at the snap of his fingers and served the drinks promptly. And best of all, the drinks were up to his standard.

They spent the evening with each other. Galinda was an accomplished dancer and the two danced throughout the night, the envy of the other patrons as they looked at the perfect couple.

Fiyero swore that he had found his next girlfriend by the time the party ended.

And that was last night.

Fiyero looked at the watch that he had placed on his bedside table. He had a lunch appointment with the said future girlfriend in twenty minutes.

He quickly jumped out of his bed (nearing crashing into Boq in the small room) and rushed into the bathroom. He had just stepped out of the bathroom when Galinda turned up at the door of his co-shared room.

"Fifi!" she called through the door.

FIyero groaned. She was perfect in every way, except when it came to choosing nicknames.

Boq opened the door to admit the girl.

"Where's Fifi?" she looked around and her eyes lit up at the sight of the scandalicious prince. He had changed into a white cotton shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark pants. He knew that he looked good in simple ensemble like this and obviously Galinda liked it too.

"Fifi!" she called his name again. "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Ready whenever you are," he lied as she hooked her arm around his. They walked into the bright sunshine and Fiyero wished that he had brought his shades.

"We are going to the perfect place for lunch," she declared. "To Prince Café."

"Prince Café?" He wondered if it was going to be another letdown like Ozma Towers.

"Well, the name is actually Green Cafe, but the owner….. let's just say that we suspect that he is a prince. That's how the nickname comes about."

"A prince?" Fiyero was curious. He had never met another prince outside of Vinkus.

"Well, he never admits it, but I have heard rumours that he was a prince from Ev, or Ix. He must be royalty or something. He is tall, smart and well spoken. Some of the girls think he is cute. And he bakes the best cakes. "

"That does not mean that he is a prince," Fiyero laughed. "Princes do not have to work."

"Oh, Fabian does. And he comes in the most beautiful shade."

"Shade?"

"Yes. You won't believe this, Fifi, but Fabian? He's green."

**A/N Sorry for cutting down on the time spent on ff net. Life, work, severe eczema (on both hands) and failing eyesight have been pulling me down. The update to this fic will be less frequent, maybe on a fortnightly basis, depending on that terrible thing called real life.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N Thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites!**

**ExoticPeachBlossoms – nope, this was not the fic that I had discussed with you. **

**LittleMissDelirious – I love your philo teacher for being sick/playing sick 8P . Twelfth Night? I am not so deep. This fic is actually inspired by a romcom that I have watched many, many years ago. Fiyeroq smut? Oh gross! I always believe that Fiyero do try to study. A real dancing-thru-life person will never be converted just because he fall for a girl who is studious. Some things just aren't possible (just like the possibility of me growing another 2 inches). And when are you updating your fic?**

**Artsoccer, yep 8) I suppose we all know what is going to happen next.**

**Musicgal3..wow.. you do have many favourite lines. Galinda can talk non-stop about Fabian because she likes him (as a friend, not as a potential boyfriend). Yes, I just randomly typed a room number and then when I reread I found it so familiar… must be the closest Cumberlady in me 8P**

**Almost an Actress … thanks! I am continuing. **

**Just in case anyone is wondering, the banner quotation was taken from George Orwell's Animal Farm. The original quote was 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'.**

**To all, this is a simple fluff (no wizard, no sorcery). There are about 18 chapters. This chapter will introduce the rest of the characters. **

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake**_

_In a large bowl, mix 1.5 cups of melted butter and 1.5 cups of sugars. Add two eggs, beating well after adding each egg into the bowl. _

_In a separate bowl, fold in 2 cups of flour, some baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk. Add to the butter mixture, mixing to incorporate, and add 1.5 teaspoon of __vanilla extract__. Add in a combined 2 cups of dark and white chocolate chips, proportioned to your preference. Pour the mixture into a pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centre is still slightly soft. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. _

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Green Café was situated at a corner of the campus, where the last of the Shiz buildings met the trees.

It was a two storey brick house. There were large glass windows at the front of the café, giving anyone who approached the place a clear view of the room inside. It was a small place, with about fifteen or so tables both inside and outside the cafe. Each of the tables outside the café was fitted with a parasol that was secured through a hole in the middle of the table. The outside furniture was made of metal and painted in rustic colours to blend into the forest behind, while the furniture inside the café were made of wood. Near to the entrance was a chalkboard with the words 'Green Café' (in green, of course) with the opening hours and a drawing of a green boy and a girl in a chair. The day's special was written in a cursive handwriting with different colours. A low fence with vines and flower boxes of poppies completed the picture.

It was afternoon, but half of the Shiz population were still asleep after a night of partying. Galinda pushed open the door and walked into an almost empty room. She went up to the counter and tip toed as she leaned against it. Fiyero followed. There was no one at the counter, and Galinda pressed the table bell twice with her dainty fingers.

A tall figure walked out from the kitchen that was behind the counter. He paused and wiped his hands on his apron before he took it off and hanged it on a hook by the door.

"Good afternoon, Fabian," she beamed. "I've brought a new friend."

Fiyero looked at the owner of the café. He was tall, almost as tall as Fiyero, and lean. His raven black hair was pulled to the back of his neck and secured with a simple elastic band. He wore a dark blue shirt that was neatly ironed and a pair of black pants. His face was longish, but delicate, his nose sharp with cheekbones to die for. He had brown eyes, a deep chocolate brown that seemed fathomless, yet tinged with a hint of mischief. It was almost a pretty boy face, and Fiyero would not be surprised if more than a few girls had a crush on him. Most intriguing, of course, was his skin, the colour of emerald green. It reminded him of the first time he went to eastern Vinkus many years ago. He had stood by the shore of Kellswater for a long time; unable to take his eyes off the scene before him; mesmerised by the deep colour of the emerald waters.

Fabian smiled at the blonde, and then looked at her 'friend'.

"Ah yes, a new friend. And your friend has been staring at me for the past ten seconds." A contralto voice, smooth like honey.

Fiyero flushed.

"I'm sorry," he spluttered.

"It's alright. You're not the first one. I'm Fabian," he stretched out his hand and Fiyero took it. His hand was calloused, the skin of someone who had done a lot of work with his hands. His handshake was warm and firm, his confidence unmistakable.

"I'm Fiyero Tiggular," Fiyero introduced himself. Fabian did not react to the name.

He turned his attention to Galinda again.

"Now, Miss Upland, what would you like to have for lunch?"

Galinda ordered a serving of chicken pasta, a giant slice of chocolate chip cookie cake and iced lemonade.

"You must try his cakes, Fifi," she told the prince. "They are to die for."

Fiyero saw Fabian raised his eyebrows at the nickname.

"I'll have the same thing," he decided.

Fiyero paid for the meals, and Galinda led Fiyero to her favourite seat next to the window. It allowed her to see anyone who came into the café and also allowed her to be seen by others.

"So," Fiyero asked, "don't they take orders at the table?"

"They?"

"The staff here."

"Oh," Galinda gave a dramatic sigh as she rested her chin on her hands, her eyes misting over as her voice suddenly filled with emotions. "Fabian runs the whole place by himself – cooking, serving and cleaning up. So the customers order at the counter. It makes his job much easier. Everything here is faster and more efficient compared to the other cafes. Sometimes he jokes and says that he serves 'fast food'."

Just then, Fabian appeared at their table with their cakes and drinks and then reappeared within five minutes with the pasta.

"Miss Upload, Mr Tiggular, your orders," he said and then disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Wow, that's fast." Fiyero was impressed.

"He must be fast in order to keep the whole place running. Peak hours during schooldays are worse."

"He does not have any helper?"

"He says that he cannot afford it. His sister helps sometimes, but she is studying in Shiz, so she is usually busy with lessons and projects." Just then, Fiyero heard the sound of something like the sound of a machine whirling. "There she is," Galinda gestured to somewhere behind him.

Fiyero turned towards the source of the sound. He had noticed a staircase that led to the second floor when he first came in, and as he looked, he saw a wheelchair moved down the stairs. No, it did not move on its own, it was on a platform that moved down the side of the stairs. On the wheelchair was a girl. She had similar features as Fabian, but softer, with fair porcelain skin. Her shoulder length hair was the colour of coffee, and kept tidy with a simple checked hairband. The platform grinded to a stop when it touched the ground floor, and the girl easily pushed the wheelchair off.

"Interesting mechanism," he commented.

"Her name is Nessarose." Galinda told him. "She is in the same year as me. The first time she arrived, Madame Morrible described her as 'tragically beautiful'. I supposed it is because of the wheelchair."

"You don't like her."

She shrugged. "We don't move around the same circles," she said as she tucked in.

Fiyero followed suit, and had to admit that the cake was the best chocolate chip cake that he had ever eaten. He could taste the dark and white chocolate chips as they melted in his mouth, contrasting and enhancing the taste of the other flavor.

Galinda giggled. "Isn't this sinfully delicious? I have to restrict myself to eat his cake only once a week, or I will get fat."

"You will never get fat," he told her.

"Fifi," Galinda giggled again as she patted his fingers playfully.

The place gradually filled up. Everyone seemed to know Galinda. Some would wave to her the moment they walked through the door, while others would glance at her, taking in her flawless makeup and faultless sense of clothing, storing the information so that they could try to emulate her on another occasion. A few came over, and Galinda made the introductions.

The first people whom he was introduced to were a pair of giggling girls called Pfannee and ShenShen. Both were pretty in their own ways, and Pfannee bent down slightly when introduced, offering him a view with that low cut dress of hers that turned his face red. He looked up in surprise, and saw from her eyes that she knew what she was doing.

Next, he was introduced to a pair of giggling schoolboys called Tibbett and Crope (and one of them kept touching Fiyero). That was followed by a few more whose names he could not remember.

"There's Boq," Galinda chirped when they had almost finished their lunch. Fiyero turned, and saw his roommate standing outside the café, looking at the chalk board with the day's special. He was with a girl who was taller than him. She had long brown hair that was tied into a pony tail. Fiyero noticed that Boq leaned towards her as they read the day's special. After a brief discussion, the pair entered the café, and the prince noticed that they were holding hands, their finger interlaced. The girl was wearing flats.

"That's his girlfriend Milla," Galinda told him. "She is my roommate."

Fiyero's back was to the centre of the room, but he could hear the increase in volume as more and more people came in. The sounds of the ordering, the scrapping of the cutlery against the plates and the voices of the customers as they conversed with their friends created a comfortable background of white noise. Fabian sometimes would appear in his view as he went around to serve the customers or to clean up a table when the customers left. He moved around briskly, purposefully, but always with a smile to everyone. Fiyero looked around. The tragically beautiful sister was not around.

Fiyero and Galinda took the rest of their lunch in silence and left after that.

He left a big tip on the table.

Galinda brought him around the campus, showing him the facilities and where to go for his different classes. He had five classes, and only one (History) was with Galinda. As they walked around the campus, Galinda's friends came up to her to say hi, and she introduced Fiyero to them. Fiyero noticed that she would lean close to him whenever the friends who approached were female, and once, she even brushed her fingers against his cheek. Ah, the subtle body language between females.

The rumours were right when they said that the scandalicious prince had very few girlfriends, official ones that was. He had many female friends of course, and went on dates with many different girls, but very few eventually became his girlfriend. He had experienced the wrath of a jealous girlfriend before, and frankly speaking (though he would never admit it), he was scared out of his wits. The girlfriend, who was sweet, adorable and soft spoken when they first started on their relationship, turned into a green eye monster who would lose her temper whenever she saw him talking to other girls. He even heard that she got into a catfight with one of those girls in the toilet. The final straw came when she grabbed a pair of scissors during one of their arguments (she suspected that he was seeing another girl, which was not totally untrue, but of course Fiyero did not admit it then) and threatened to …errrmm… end his capability to provide grandchildren for his parents.

So he told himself that he would go into his next relationship with both his eyes opened.

They ended the day with dinner at a restaurant in town, followed by a stroll along the main shopping belt. Galinda, he discovered, was a shopping queen. In that short stroll, she popped into two shops – one selling accessories and one selling stationary - and came out with three shopping bags. Fiyero had to carry them of course. The walk was supposed to take about ten minutes, but it took more than an hour in the end.

He walked her to her room, as a gentleman always should after a date.

"Goodnight, Galinda," he told her as he bent down to give her a peck on her cheek. But Galinda turned slightly and, with her hand on the back of his back, kissed him full on the mouth.

Fiyero whistled a tune as he walked back to his room, a silly grin on his face.

Boq was not in his room when Fiyero went back. The prince took a quick shower to refresh himself. After that, he sat on his bed and took out his diary. It was a parting gift from his father when he had left Vinkus for his education abroad.

Fiyero looked at the book, opened on his lap to the latest page. On top was the words 'Shiz University' followed by the day of his arrival. Instead of filling his diary with words, he had drawn a vertical line the night before and now he added another one. One line for each day. On the fifth day, he would draw a horizontal line across the four vertical lines from the previous four days. This had been his habit for the past few years. And so far, he had never run out of space in his thin diary book. His father, the Arjiki King, had told him to write his thoughts and aspirations in the diary. It was a family tradition, and Fiyero was told that when he became king, the diaries that he had filled up when he was young would be bounded and placed in the royal library for all to read – the great thoughts of the boy before he became king. He smiled at the thought of anyone opening up his diary and expecting great words and deep thoughts; they would be in for a surprise.

The prince looked at his newest line and wondered how long he would stay in this university. He had no idea, but he hoped that he would be here for a long time. Galinda seemed like a nice distraction, and as he prepared to sleep, he thought of the owner of Prince Café, of his emerald skin and honey-coated voice. Maybe he would do some research tomorrow to see if any of the royalties had an illegitimate son with green skin.

**A/N When I describe Fabian, I imagine the way Agent Olivia Durham (Anna Torv, Fringe) presented herself during work, serious, with her hair tied back.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N. Thank you for the reviews!**

**To Elphaba's Girl : you want him to paint himself green again? LOL. **

**Musicgal3 : it is strange how parents expect their children to know what they want at a young age. I didn't, and I still don't, so I don't expect Fiyero to be a deep thinker at that age. What's in your diary? **

**LittleMissDelirious : Oz, you make school sounds like chemo…. *shudders* And you are so mean to Fifi :P**

**ExoticPeachBlossom : thanks!**

_Pumpkin is rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and also high in fiber. It contains carotenoids, which can prevent cancers and have a host of other benefits. And what is a better way to add pumpkin into your diet than to make your own pumpkin soup? _

_To start, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Chop an onion and add into the saucepan, stirring until the onion turns golden brown. Add 2 teaspoon of grounded cumin. Seed and chop a 1 kg pumpkin and add the pieces into the saucepan. Stir to coat. Then add in 1 litre of vegetable stock and simmer until the pumpkin is soft. Puree the soup until smooth. Serve with garlic bread. . _

* * *

Five o'clock must be the happiest hour on a weekday afternoon in Shiz. It was the time when the last class of the day ended and the teachers would have no further excuse to hold back the students. At that magical hour, the doors of the classrooms would be flung wide open and a flood of students would emerge from the confines of the classrooms, their faces ecstatic knowing that they had survived yet another day of boring lectures or nerve wrecking tests.

Fiyero walked out of his Political Science class alone. He had been in Shiz for a month, and had made many friends in and out of the classrooms. It was never difficult for him to make friends, although many of these friendships were on a superficial level. His political science class was the exception though. The students who were in this class were really serious about studying. They actually paid attention to the boring topics droned on and on by the lecturer, a professor with messy white hair and moustache who looked more like a mad scientist or a wizard instead of a political science lecturer. And they actually seemed to care about the political and economic situation in Oz. Some of his classmates planned to apply for jobs in the Wizard's administration once they graduated, while others would take over their family business. A few, on knowing that he was a prince, asked him if his father, the Arjiki King, had any intention of hiring fresh graduates. They were an ambitious lot, and their presence gave him a headache the moment he walked into the classroom. He would love to drop the subject, but it was one of the subjects that his mother had mandated that he must take and passed with an A grade. The Queen might love and cuddle her only son, but there was no room for negotiations when it came to grooming him as the next ruler, and she firmly believed as a good education is a necessary foundation for his future role as the ruler of the Arjiki tribe.

"So how did you fare?" he heard a voice next to him, and from somewhere below his chest level.

He looked down.

Nessarose.

He shoved the paper into his messenger bag.

"Isn't what you expect?" she haphazard a guess.

Fiyero shrugged. The professor had earlier declared to the class that Nessarose had gotten the top marks for the most recent test. It seemed to be a regular occurrence, and he had heard some guys snorted behind him in disgust.

"It is what I expect," he told his classmate, "which is not good." There were only two girls in his political science class, and Nessarose was one of them. He was quite surprised to see her. He never saw her as a political science kind of girl. On the other hand he did not expect to see a green person in his whole life either.

"I can't understand what the professor talks about half of the time," he admitted to the girl. Nessarose looked at the prince, at the sudden display of helplessness.

"Are you open to the idea of seeking help?" she asked.

"From who?"

"From Fabala," she suggested.

"Fabala?"

"Fabian, my brother," she explained.

"What kind of nickname is that?"

"The kind that a boy will allow his little sister to call him when she was so young she was unable to pronounce his name properly and then he loved her so much that he continued to let her call him by that name despite the embarrassment?"

Fiyero laughed. "He loves you that much?"

"He loves me more than anything. I'm the only family he has, and he will do anything for me."

"Where are your parents?" he was curious.

Fiyero saw a flicker of annoyance across Nessa's face, but it was gone just as quickly. "I'm here to help you, not tell me my family story," she told him bluntly and then wheeled herself towards her next class. "Remember what I've told you. He can make anyone pass with flying colours."

Fiyero made his way back to his room. Nessarose's offer, if that could be construed as one, was interesting, but he was not sure if he should ask her brother for help. He might not have hesitated if Fabian was a professor, a teaching assistant or even a senior. But a café owner? Who knew if Nessarose was just pulling his leg? He could imagine Nessarose and Fabian doubled over in laughter at his request.

He opened the door to his room with his key and was so deep in thought that it took him a while before he realised that there was someone in the room. Two persons, actually.

His roommate Boq and his girlfriend were seated side by side on his bed, their backs to the wall. He guessed that they were supposed to be studying, but the Boq's book was on his lap, and he was peering over Milla's shoulder at her book, his arm wrapped around her waist. He whispered something to his girlfriend that made her smiled, and she turned to him and they kissed. They were so engrossed in each other that they did not notice the newcomer.

Fiyero flushed. This was his room, but it felt kind of funny, like he was intruding on something private. He backed off quietly and closed the door behind him. For a moment, he envied the couple in the room. He had found out, unintentionally, that Boq came from a poor farmer family and was studying in Shiz on a scholarship, while Milla's family was quite well-to-do. However, the difference in their family backgrounds did not seem to matter to the couple, and he could see that she and Boq were happy together no matter what they did. While Boq was affectionate to his girlfriend, he did not, and was not able to splurge on her. And Milla did not seem to mind that, unlike the other girls, her boyfriend was not able to surprise her with the occasional gifts. Fiyero never had a relationship like that, and he wondered if it was ever possible for a girl to like him so simply, if any of his previous or current girlfriends would date him if he was not royalty, rich and good looking.

He wandered around the campus. Galinda had her once a month exclusive girls' night out and even her latest boyfriend (yes, that was him. They were officially an item after the first week) was excluded from this ritualistic outing where the popular girls from school would go out and enjoyed themselves without their boyfriends. It would be a night of giggles, gossips and harmless flirting with other boys. She was most probably still in her room making up and he made his way there.

"Fifi!" she exclaimed when she opened her door. Fiyero almost screamed when he saw her. She was wearing a pink bathrobe and her hair was wrapped in a pink turban. Her fingers and toes were separated by bright yellow foam separators, and the nail polish on her nails was still wet (he had no idea how she managed to open the door without smudging the polish). What was scary was her face. It was covered with a thick layer of greenish paste that looked more like something that he had thrown up after a night of heavy drinking than a beauty mask.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Oh Fifi, you know what day is today?" she tried to speak by moving only her lips while leaving the rest of her face frozen. "It's my girls' night out! I need time to prepare!"

"Can I just come in? I won't disturb you," he promised.

Galinda shook her head.

"No no no. Don't do that to me," she batted her eyelids at him before she gave him a peck on his lips.

"Go, go." She shooed him away.

With almost no place to go, he made his way to Green Café. The place was filling up fast with students who were hungry after a day of studying. Fabian was busy with taking orders and serving the customers.

Fiyero found an empty table and sat down.

Fabian noticed him the moment he sat down, and acknowledged him with a slight smile. When the café owner next walked by, his hands carrying a tray of two salad dishes and drinks, he silently placed a serviette on his table. Fiyero looked at the lanky boy as he served the salad and drinks to two girls, perplexed, until the latter noticed him looking and pointed to a corner of his mouth. Fiyero dabbed the serviette to his lips, and it was only then that he realised that Galinda had transferred some of her mask to his skin when she kissed him.

"Hungry?" Fabian asked with a smile when he passed by the prince again.

He shook his head.

"Actually, I have a favour to ask," he told him.

"Can I talk to you later? It's a bit busy today," Fabian gestured to the crowd. Fiyero nodded.

The crowd seemed to build up as time passed. Fiyero found himself getting hungry, and as if Fabian could hear his stomach growling (most probably he did), he smoothly passed him a bowl of pumpkin soup and a plate of chicken pasta on his way to serve another table of customers.

He expected the people to leave after dinnertime, but the customers seemed to think otherwise. Many of them stayed after dinner and chatted over finger food and drinks. Fabian moved around briskly, making sure that the customers did not have to wait long for their food. There were some dishes left by a group of customers on the next table and Fabian was busy serving the other customers. Without thinking, Fiyero went over and placed the dirty dishes on a tray and brought them into the kitchen.

It was the first time he had entered the kitchen of Green Café. Well, it was the first time he entered any kitchen besides the one back in Kiamo Ko (he used to hide in the kitchen while playing hide-and-seek when he was young, or if he wanted to avoid his parents). The kitchen was long and narrow, its width barely enough for two person. At the front was a big oven and a stove. Next to the stove was a stack of clean plates. At the back of the kitchen was a sink and then, at the end, a few basins with dirty cutlery. Fabian was so busy with serving the customers that he did not have time to wash the dirty dishes, and obviously Nessa was not able to help with that aspect. The prince moved around gingerly, afraid that he would bump onto any of the things and break them. He reached the back of the kitchen and put the dirty dishes inside one of the empty basins.

"What are you doing here?" he heard a voice behind him.

Fiyero spun around, and saw Fabian near to the stove, his hands carrying a tray of more dirty dishes. His voice was neutral, but Fiyero just had a feeling he should not be here.

"I.. I…I saw that there were some dirty dishes on the table and so I just thought that I would help."

He saw Fabian's taut shoulders relaxed and a slight smile graced his features.

"You shouldn't. You are a customer, and my customers do not have to clear the tables," Fabian told him.

Fiyero chuckled. "Well, you have just served me some food without payment, so can I say that I am doing this to pay off the food?"

The green boy smiled unwittingly, lighting up his tired face, and Fiyero suddenly thought that it was a very sweet smile. Though sweet would not be a word that he would use on a boy.

"So… what was this favour that you are talking about?" Fabian broke into his thoughts.

"I need to pass my political science module," he blurted.

"And you thought that I can help? I am just a simple person who runs a café," he sounded amused.

Damn, so Nessa was pulling his leg.

As if he could hear his thoughts, Fabian added.

"Nessa put you up to it, didn't she?" Fiyero could hear the slight exasperation in his voice as the he tapped his fingers on the plastic tray. "One puppy after another," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm not a puppy," Fiyero protested.

Fabian waved his protest away.

"Sorry if I offended you, Mr Tiggular. Just that this is Nessa's pet project. She thinks that I need some distraction from my daily work and has been trying to find students for me to tutor during my free time. She has no idea how much I value my free time."

"And you love her too much to reject her requests."

Fabian raised an eyebrow at that remark, but did not comment.

Fiyero stood there until the silence became too long. He shuffled uncomfortably under the scrutiny of those brown eyes.

"So…"

"How desperate are you to pass your module?"

"Very. A fate worse than death awaits me if I fail."

Fabian gave a throaty laugh and shook his head.

"You children can be so dramatic."

"I'm not a child, Fabian. I'm twenty one," Fiyero defended himself, and then wondered why he bothered to do so.

Another raise of his eyebrow.

"I… I repeated several times," Fiyero admitted sheepishly.

Fabian walked towards him with the dirty dishes.

"Every weekday between ten to eleven, or four to five," he told the prince as he placed the tray on his hands, and then smirked and walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

Fiyero turned up the next day five minutes past ten, his political science text book in his arms.

"I thought you are not coming," Fabian said the moment he sat down.

Fiyero flushed and mumbled an apology.

"There's no need to apologise. Just don't do this again." Fabian took the text book.

"I need to know how much you know," he explained as he scanned through the pages. He flipped to a page, and asked a simple question, or asked him to explain a concept. By the time he had finished, Fabian had a serious look on his face.

"This is not going to be easy," he said, and Fiyero wondered if he was talking to him, or to himself.

"But," the café owner turned to him. "I believe that you are not beyond hope. Two hours every day. Ten to eleven, _and_ four to five."

Fiyero was surprised. "But I thought you said ten to eleven _or_ four to five?"

Fabian looked at him, the corners of his mouth upturned. "Well, no one ever says that it is easy to escape from a fate that is worse than death," he simply said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N Thank you to musicgal3, ExoticPeachBlossom, Elphaba's Girl, Fae The Queen, James Birdsong and LittleMissDelirious for the reviews!**

**Musicgal, so did your dream (ambition) come true? =)**

**James Birdsong, you're back! *virtual hugs***

**LittleMissDelirious, does Fabala really sound like a girl's name? And please don't love me :P (judging from the way you treat FiFi) LOL, if there is no Elphie, The Wicked Years will only be about 100 pages and the musical 30 minutes :P**

_Brocoli. Brain food. Walnut. Brain food. Someone is going to get an overdose today._

_The walnut has been chopped this morning and toasted in the oven, the smell still lingering in the small, confined space. She stands in front of the stove. The pasta and the broccoli were on a large bowl, drained, and now she adds a tablespoon of olive oil and smashed garlic into the pot. A few stirs, and the garlic sizzles and turns golden brown. Taking a serving of the pasta and broccoli, she dumps them back into the pot and adds one tablespoon of olive oil, cheese, and a little salt and pepper before mixing the contents together. She then scoops them out and adds a handful of toasted walnut into the mix. Wait, let's add more walnut and broccoli. He needs as much help as he can and the extras can serve as psychological boost if nothing else._

* * *

Fiyero pushed the door open and walked into the café. It was ten o'clock, and he had just finished his lesson. The morning crowd had left, and it was not yet time for Fabian to start on his preparations for lunch.

He was behind the counter drying some plates that had just been washed, and acknowledged Fiyero with a nod.

Fiyero knew that Fabian would finish drying the dishes before he came over, but that did not mean that he could lax. The prince sat down at his favourite table, a table at a corner, which allowed him to see the counter and also most of the tables inside the café without being noticed by most of the customers. The seat allowed him to see Fabian as he moved around the café (even slacking required some careful strategizing in Green Cafe) but had enough privacy so that he could do his homework in peace. It was not one of Galinda's favourite seats obviously. She had whined the first time she saw him sitting there and had tried to pull him out of his seat. To appease her, he would sit on her favourite table whenever she was around, and on his whenever she was not.

After a few weeks, the prince and the café owner had fallen into a routine of some sort. Beside Political Science, Fabian managed to carve out some time and help him in his Calculus problems. Fiyero was surprised by how well versed the former was on these two subjects.

"I bet you always topped your class," he commented once when Fabian effortlessly worked out the answer to another seemingly difficult question and explained the working to him.

He shrugged, and mumbled something under his breath.

"What?"

"I never went to University."

"What?" Fiyero was surprised.

"Will I be running a café if I have graduated from University?"

"Well….. I just thought that it's because you are interested in culinary and such."

Fabian shook his head.

"But why not? Why didn't your father send you to University since he can afford to send Nessa here?" Fiyero bit his lip the moment the words came out. He still remembered how Nessa's expression changed when he mentioned her parents.

Fabian stood up, and he saw, for the first time, a look that could pass for anger on his face. "Mr Tiggular, that is my family business, and I will appreciate it if you do not mention him again."

Fiyero looked at the departing figure. He felt like going after the green guy and apologised for raising what was obviously a taboo topic. He liked Fabian, and admired him for being so efficient and capable (he bet that if he had to run a café, he would burn it down on his first day, or maybe cause the customers to come down with mass food poisoning). Besides being a good tutor, they seemed to have built up a friendship of some sort. Sometimes they would talk about something or nothing in particular during Fabian's free time. Fiyero knew that he was an attentive listener, especially when he was with girls, but it was rare to be on the receiving end. Fabian paid him the kind of quiet attention that he rarely got (the attention that he usually received were the screaming and squealing kind) and he found himself telling Fabian about himself, his family, his life back in Vinkus, things that he never told others. Just snippets of course, because Fabian would always bring him back to his studies. And sometimes it became a game for Fiyero - to find a topic that Fabian would be interested in, and to see how long he could distract his tutor before the latter remembered that he should be studying.

Best of all, Fabian was never jealous of the attention that the female customers paid him (Galinda was, though). Fiyero tried to imagine a day without seeing and chatting with Fabian and he just could not. So he avoided that topic and never raised it again.

"Daydreaming?" a voice shook him out of his reverie. "You got a test tomorrow if I do not remember wrongly." Fiyero looked up. Fabian was standing in front of him. He had taken off his apron and was tapping his foot impatiently. There were a few sheets of paper in his hands. The prince flushed.

"You are not going to embarrass me by failing tomorrow's test, are you?" he asked with a slight upturn of his lips.

Fiyero shook his head.

Fabian placed the papers on the table.

"Mock test. 1 hour. Starts now." And he left to do his chores again.

Fiyero looked at the paper. It was in the same format as the test for tomorrow. He took out his pencil, nibbled on it for good luck and set to work.

He completed the paper almost an hour later. There were a few questions that he was unable to complete, even though he was pretty sure that Fabian had taught him those before. He passed the paper back sheepishly.

Fabian glanced through the papers in quick succession, and looked at him with raised eyebrows, his usual smiling eyes holding a slight hint of disapproval.

Just then, the door opened and a group of early diners came in.

"Now if you will excuse me," Fabian said as he switched to business mode again and prepared to receive the first of his lunch customers.

Fiyero went back to his seat. Come noon, Galinda would sweep through the doors and they would move to her favourite table for lunch. Galinda was starting to complain about this arrangement. They still went to other places for lunch, but the fact that Fiyero spent most of his pre-lunch hours in the café meant that he was reluctant to move to the other cafes. Besides the inconvenience of shifting from one place to another, he had to admit that he like the atmosphere in Green Café. He liked to sit in his corner and watch Fabian as he moved about his business. In the other cafes, there would always be a waitress who would drop a piece of glassware, or two staff quarrelling when things got heated up. But over here, it was just Fabian running the whole place, and he made running a café looked so easy. Sometimes Fiyero would catch his voice as he took the orders, or when he bantered with his customers. And it did not hurt that now that he was his student, Fabian would surprise him with what he called 'brain food' in his meals. Fiyero had received extra tomatoes, or a plate of nuts, or extra serving of fatty fishes on occasions. If Fabian was a girl, he would say that he was mothering him.

Fabian served the lunch to his first group of lunch customers. He then waltzed back to the counter where he marked one more question on the mock test paper before he went into the kitchen again.

Fiyero looked at that group of customers. Among them were Tibbett and Crope, who were seated next to each other, the latter's arm casually placed across Tibbett's shoulders as the group chattered. Crope saw Fiyero looking at them and winked at him. The prince looked down hastily and was glad when he heard a familiar shrill voice.

"Fifi!" Galinda squealed the moment she walked through the door. The blonde wore a bright yellow dress on that day with pink floral prints at the hem. She topped off her ensemble with matching orange necklace and bracelet. The room seemed brighter the moment she came in.

He smiled at her and packed his stuff before moving to her favourite table. Galinda gave him a smooch before they sat down.

Fiyero took her orders and went to the counter. He tried to look at the mock paper, but a familiar green hand swiped the paper away before he could do so.

"No peeping," Fabian told him with a smirk before he followed up with a "your orders please?"

Not surprisingly, his lunch came with extra 'brain food' again – this time, it was extra servings of broccoli and walnut in his broccoli and walnut pasta.

"For tomorrow," the cook told him as he placed the plate in front of him.

"Oz, Fabian, I think I will turn green like you with that much broccoli," he protested. "As much as I like that colour," he added quickly, hoping that Fabian would not be offended.

Fabian smiled. "If I didn't know better, I would think that you are trying to flirt with me in front of your girlfriend, Mr Tiggular." And Fiyero blushed.

That was another thing that he never understood, why Fabian's slight teasings, which happened rarely, would make him blush to his roots.

Galinda, on the other hand, giggled, and tapped playfully on Fabian's arm. "Oh, Fab, you know that Fifi only likes girls."

"And even if I am one, there is no reason for him to flirt with me since he already has the prettiest girl in Shiz as his girlfriend," Fabian teased her, which made Galinda giggled again.

"Prettiest and most popular," she corrected him. "And you are flirting with me, Fabian," she added, her fingers covering her mouth.

"I am sure Mr Tiggular does not mind," Fabian replied charmingly before he left the table.

The lunch crowd left behind tables of dirty dishes. Fiyero noticed that Fabian was still busy with the remaining orders, and he excused himself and cleared the dishes. Fabian was not happy when he started doing this, but gave up after a while. Fiyero thought that clearing the dishes was the least that he could do since Fabian never accepted any form of payment for his daily tutoring.

He was still in the kitchen when Fabian came in with more dirty dishes.

"You'd better make a move. Your class will be starting soon," he reminded the Shiz student.

The kitchen was narrow, built for one person, and Fiyero flattened himself against the wall to make more space as Fabian moved in to unload the dirty dishes. He could have dropped something greasy on the floor and Fabian slipped as he walked past.

Fiyero never figured out what exactly happened. He remembered reaching out, and the next moment, Fabian's deep brown eyes as they widened in surprise as he looked at the prince, his green hands on his chest.

Beside them, the plates shattered as they hit the floor, the sound of the ceramic breaking forming a cascade of shattering sounds. But Fiyero was only aware of the person in his arms. He felt the curve of the Fabian's body in his arms, the texture of the rough fabric underneath his shirt, and the warmth from the green hands that seemed to penetrate his shirt and spread across his chest.

He was conscious of how close they were, so close that he could see the streaks of gold in Fabian's eyes, although the word that came into Fiyero's mind was _honey_, because he was so used to associating Fabian with food. He was so close he could smell the herbs and toasted walnut that lingered on Fabian's clothes. And there was something else, something like the faintest breeze or a wisp of mist that teased the edge of his senses.

"I'm sorry," the guy in his arms apologised and stepped away, and the spell was broken.

Fabian looked at the broken pieces on the floor, a frown on his face.

Fiyero recovered quickly as he tried to ignore the sudden emptiness in his arms.

"Can I help?" he asked.

Fabian took a look at him and shook his head. "No, just go for your class. I'll clean up. Be careful on your way out."

Fiyero compiled, but he turned back when he was at the kitchen door. Fabian was crouching on the floor, a broom and a dustpan next to him as he gingerly picked up the bigger pieces and placed them into the dustpan. For a while, Fiyero thought that he looked so small, so vulnerable. Fabian looked at him, as if he could sense the prince's gaze.

And he remembered the texture under his hands.

"Are you injured?" the words came out before he realised how inappropriate they were.

"No."

Before he knew it, Fiyero walked back to the crouching figure, and placed his hand lightly on Fabian's back.

"It's a bandage, isn't it? Are you hurt?"

Fabian's eyes widened and then softened as he shy away from his touch.

"Oh, that. It's just an old injury. I just bind it so that it will support my back."

"Does it hurt?"

"It's just a precautionary measure, Mr Tiggular. Thank you for your concern. And now you are really late for class. Miss Upland is waiting for you."

Fabian looked at him, giving him what Fiyero silently termed his 'teacher look' and he had no choice but to leave. Something nagged at his mind, but he had no idea what it was.

He went to the café again at four o'clock. The kitchen had been cleaned up, all signs of the incident gone. Fabian was all business again, and Fiyero saw the results of his mock test.

Fabian sat down with him and went through the mistakes.

"Don't. Embarrass. Me. By. Failing. Tomorrow," he emphasized when they had gone through the whole paper.

"Why? Are you thinking of being a full-time tutor?"

"Maybe," Fabian said nonchalantly. "I should have a long queue of potential students once your grades improved." But somehow Fiyero knew that he would never do it.

Fiyero and Galinda went to another place for dinner – she insisted, and it was followed by a walk by the Suicide Canal under the moonlight.

"You should have an early night, Fifi," Galinda said uncharacteristically.

"You're sounding more and more like Fabian," he protested.

Galinda giggled. "We're mothering you."

"You are both getting naggy. I don't like a naggy girlfriend."

Galinda pouted, and then giggled again as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for a long, long time.

"This is not mothering," she told him when they parted.

The prince smiled in the dark. "No, this is not," and he pulled her close to him and kissed her again. For a moment, in the dark, a thought flitted into his mind and left again, so fast that even he himself did not catch it.

He walked her back to her room after that. Outside her door, they kissed again, reluctant to leave each other. For a moment, Fiyero felt like asking her if it was convenient for him to stay the night in her room. He did not want to sleep alone that night. But he did not. He did not want to do something that he would regret the next day.

* * *

_He was back in the kitchen again. Fabian moved past him, his hands carrying a tray of dirty plates. Again, the green guy slipped and Fiyero pulled his thin body against his stronger one. His waist was so small, like a girl's, and Fiyero had no problem wrapping his arms around the tiny waist._

_The dishes crashed onto the floor, and this time round, Fiyero could hear the sounds of the plates breaking, but they sounded so far away._

_He slid his hand up to Fabian's back, feeling the binding._

"_Does it hurt?" He asked, referring to the old injury._

_Fabian looked at him. And Fiyero noticed how soft were his eyes. He blinked and Fiyero had the urge to touch the flawless cheeks._

"_No," he replied._

_Fiyero moved his hand to the small of Fabian's back, feeling the curve of his body and pulled him closer. The smell that was Fabian after a busy morning wafted around him as the former placed his hands on his chest, the gentle pressure drawing a smile from the prince. He took in Fabian's features – from his deep brown eyes to his sharp nose to his lips. Fabian's lips were greyish-green, and Fiyero could not help but brushed his thumb across his lower lip. Fabian looked back at him, not saying anything, and then he parted his lips slightly, as if he knew what the prince was thinking. Without hesitation, Fiyero cradled Fabian's face and closed the gap …._

Fiyero sat up on his bed, his heart beating so hard that he thought that it would burst through his ribcage and hit the wall, waking up his roommate in the process. He glanced at Boq, but the Munchkin was sleeping soundly, his snoring almost inaudible under the rapid beating of his heart.

Oz, what was he dreaming?

* * *

**A/N Try not to throw anything at me. :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A/N Thank you all for your reviews!**

**Elphaba's Girl and artsoccer, you will like chapter 6 (sounds like a shameless way to ask you to continue reading this fic :P)**

**Fae the Queen, yes, Fiyero is straight. And good looking, and attractive, and scandalicious, and …. (restrain my inner cougar before it does any more damage).**

**LittleMissDelirious, I will never call him Fifi in my reviews again. As for your WHY question… the answer is scattered all over the next few chapters. I missed watching Ave Q a few years ago, and they have not come back since then.**

**MusicGal3, 1) what happen to your teeth? 2) spare your laptop, it's not worth destroying it just to get to me. 3) Till now, I still cannot figure out which era are they in (in terms of clothing). So whether they wear bras or corsets is anyone's guess (I suppose that is the fun thing about writing Wicked fanfic, there is no absolute right or wrong). And you will **_**love**_** chapter 8 (I hope so :P).**

* * *

_Hull and chop about 500 gram of strawberries and sprinkle __caster sugar__ over them. In the meantime, pour 500 ml of full fat milk and 50 ml of double cream into a saucepan and let it simmer. Add a bit of vanilla essence into the saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk 10 egg yolks and the 175 gram of sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Pour the mixture gently into the saucepan and stir the custard until it thickens. Pour the custard mixture into another bowl and let it cool._

_Puree the strawberries, and fold in two tablespoon of lemon juice and the puree into the cooled custard. Pour the mixture into a plastic tub and put it in a freezer. Take it out every hour during the first three hours and beat the mixture to get rid of any ice crystals. Freeze for twenty four hours._

_And there you have it - home made pink ice cream for the pink loving girl._

* * *

He passed his test. To his great surprise.

And thank goodness.

Because his brain was definitely not able to concentrate when he turned up for the test.

Which said much about the effectiveness of Fabian's tutoring.

Fabian his tutor.

Fabian with his brown eyes with the honey-coloured streaks, his flawless emerald skin and irresistible greyish-green lips. Fabian with his black hair tied back, exposing his smooth long neck. Fabian smelling like the tastiest cake and the most aromatic coffee. Fabian who was looking at him with a slightly annoyed yet concerned look on his face as he stopped midway on his way to deliver some cakes to his customers at another table.

And then Fiyero realised that it was because he was staring at him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, and he lowered his head, pretending to pay attention to the drawing that was on his paper. It was not a drawing actually, more of a scribbling, though he would not be caught by Fabian saying that. Fabian called it mind mapping, and it was one of the several methods that he had used to help the prince retain information in his mind. Another method was to use songs (Fiyero suspected that this method was primarily used to embarrass him as he did not have a good singing voice). And of course the cursed rote learning.

Anyway, Fiyero knew that he had a greater problem in his hands than whether he could regurgitate the different titles of the officers in the Wizard's cabinet and their jobscopes.

The problem?

He suspected that he was in _like_. With the wrong person.

He knew that he should stop going to the café. He tried to, and was successful for the first two days, but on the third day, he found himself passing by the café after a class. He looked in. Fabian was talking to a customer and he broke into a smile over something that the customer said. At that moment, Fiyero wished that the smile was for him. He gave a sigh and went in. Fabian did not mention anything about him missing two days of tutoring, which only made him felt guilty.

He told himself that he was going to the café for the tutoring so that he could continue to do well for his studies. For the first time, he managed to pass all his subjects, two of them with pretty good grades (no prize for guessing which two subjects). To his surprise, he received a letter from his parents, who told him that they were proud of him – Madame Morrible had written to them claiming credit for his improved grades. There was no mention of any threat (cutting off his allowance for example) or admonishing in that letter .

But he also knew that he was going there, day after day, because he wanted to see Fabian, to hear his voice. And of course for the lull period when the café owner would come over to his table.

But Fiyero also knew that he was beginning to make a fool of himself.

A few days ago, he had asked the green guy if the rumours about him being a prince back at the Badlands was true.

Fabian chuckled.

"They said that you are the youngest born of a king and have a harem of exotic women with emerald skin to …..," the prince trailed off, his face flushed again.

Fabian only laughed and shook his head at the absurdity, but did not confirm or deny the allegations.

On another day, he had blurted out another stupid question when Fabian interrupted his daydreaming.

"Do you think I am good looking?"

Fabian looked at him with his eyesbrows raised.

"The scandalicious prince Fiyero doubting his attractiveness to girls?"

"No… I mean…" he tripped over his own words, and then got distracted when Tibbett and Crope came in, dressed in matching outrageous tight-fitting dance costumes and giggling over some jokes that was most probably rated. Fabian looked behind him at the new arrivals, and then gave a knowing look.

And Fiyero was so stunned by the quick conclusion that Fabian drew that he was dumbfounded.

Fiyero even asked Boq one night if he ever had the experience of holding a guy or being held by a guy. The Munchkin boy slept with his eyes open for the next few nights.

To say that Fiyero was confusified was an understatement. While he did not object if any of his friends was interested in someone of the same gender, he had always been interested in girls. He _only_ liked girls. He liked girls and their shiny, long hair and pretty eyes. He liked girls who covered their mouths with their hands when they laughed. He liked it when girls wore dresses that accentuated the natural curves of their bodies and emphasized their small waists. He liked the way they swayed their hips when they walked in their high heels. He appreciated it when a girl dressed up and wore accessorises on a date with him. He enjoyed it when girls flirted with him and lingered their fingers on his skin, the way they lean close to him so that he could take a whiff of their perfume, and the way they blushed or giggled over something he did or said. And he never liked contact sports with other guys.

Fiyero shook his head to clear the recent memories in the kitchen, of Fabian in his arms.

So what if Fabian had a pair of mesmerising eyes? What if his skin was flawless, his complexion better than many girls that he knew? What if he had a waist that was small for a guy? What if, on certain occasions, he gave a sweet smile that could cause flutters in his stomach? Fiyero knew that he should not use Fabian's pretty features to justify his confused feelings. It was genetic, and he could see similar features on Nessarose too. Their mother must be one beautiful lady.

Fiyero told himself that he was not attracted to Fabian. It was just that it was the first time that he had a guy in his arms and the incident jolted him off course. Things would be back to normal in a few days, he chanted to himself, and he would believe his mantra until the next time he caught himself gazing wistfully at Fabian again.

He really needed to date Galinda more often, he told himself, the girlfriend whom he had been neglecting lately. Or maybe he needed to date other girls, maybe someone more feminine, though he suspected that it would be difficult to find someone more feminine than Galinda.

Fiyero sighed, and then his vision was blocked by a pink fluffy sleeveless dress with arms. He looked up to see the face of a girl with golden curls. She had a not too happy expression.

"Fifi, why did you cancel our date yesterday?" she pouted.

He made an exaggerated expression of discomfort and massaged his temples.

"I had a terrible headache, Galinda." It was just a little white lie, he told himself.

"Oh my poor Fifi," she fussed over him as she moved behind his chair and squashed his head against her chest as she massaged his temples. Fiyero closed his eyes as he tried to shut out the assault of perfume and wished that she smelled like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows instead.

"Feeling better?" she asked when she released her fingertips from his skin after a while.

Fiyero opened his eyes and mumbled his thanks.

His girlfriend plopped down on the seat facing him, triumphant that her massage had given him some relief.

"Let's go to town for dinner since you are feeling better," she suggested, a smile on her face. "I will like to drop by the tailor to make a few new dresses."

He sighed, and then nodded his head.

They went to town for dinner at a restaurant famous for its Gillikinese food. It was Galinda's favourite restaurant in town, and she ordered her favourite Gillikinese pie, giving them to Fiyero when she could not finish it.

After dinner, they took a stroll along the streets to her favourite tailor. Galinda bought a strawberry ice cream off a street vendor and shared it with Fiyero (which basically meant that he held the ice cream while she ate it, until the ice cream started to melt and he had to gobble the whole thing). Along the way, she eyed the dresses in the window displays of the various shops while chatting with Fiyero. The weather was cool and there was a gentle breeze. Galinda walked closer to him and curled her hand over his arm as she leaned closer to him. She smelled nice with her perfume that had worn off slightly and Fiyero could smell the smell of cooked food in her hair as she whispered something into his ear. He frowned slightly. It was the smell of food, but it was not the smell of Fabian's pasta and cakes that he was so familiar with by now.

"Is something wrong?" Galinda asked as she pulled a curl from her hair and put it under her nose. "Does my hair stink of cooked food?"

Fiyero smiled at her.

"No," he told her as he placed his hand on her hand that was on his arm. Galinda was the most popular girl in Shiz. She was beautiful and sweet, and Fiyero knew that there were many guys in the campus who envied the prince for dating her. So why did he have that incomplete feeling when he was with her? That feeling that he would be rather be somewhere else? With someone else?

"You're thinking again, Fifi," she interrupted his thoughts as she put a finger on his forehead. "It will cause permanent creases on your forehead and you will age ten years."

Fiyero laughed, his mood momentarily lightened up by his girlfriend.

"Come, let's go and make your dresses," he told her to her delight.

The tailor was situated in a corner of town, and run by a Gillikinese, a Mister Porti.

Mister Porti greeted Galinda the moment they went in with a genuine smile on his face. Galinda was his regular customer, and the two had built up an instant rapport ever since the girl walked into his shop one day and squealed at a dress that he had inside his shop.

Mister Porti showed Galinda the bales of fabric that was delivered to his shop that morning, and the blonde ooh-ed and ah-ed at the endless possibilities that they presented. She followed the latest fashion, but always liked to add some embellishments of her own, to make her clothes uniquely Galinda. Mister Porti was always eager to please her, as Galinda was his walking model, always showing off his latest creation, and that had brought in more customers than any advertisement.

Fiyero walked around the small shop while Galinda discussed the design of a new dress with Mister Porti. There was a mannequin at the corner of the shop, and tacked on the mannequin was a half-completed long sleeve dress that ended below the ankle. The fabric was black in colour, and it reminded Fiyero of the dark blue and black uniform that Fabian wore in Green Café.

"Fifi? What are you thinking?"

He turned around, flustered. "Nothing. I was just thinking that this dress will look good on you."

Galinda's reaction was priceless.

"Fifi! But that is a black dress! Sweet Lurline! Why will I want to wear a black dress? It's not as if I am attending a funeral or something!" And she quickly tapped on the nearest wooden table for good luck.

Mister Porti laughed. "Miss Upland is right. This dress is actually ordered by one of my regular customers. Her father-in-law, a Baron, is gravely ill, and she needs a mourning dress when the time comes." He made a sign of the Unnamed God.

"The black will set off your fair skin nicely." Fiyero tried to argue his way through.

"I look good in all colours, Fifi. Black is … ghastly," she retorted with a shudder. "It is totally not me," she added, and Mister Porti nodded in agreement.

Galinda ordered three more dresses before they made their way back to Shiz.

"Fifi, can I ask you something?" Galinda asked when they were at her doorstep.

"Yes?" he replied absentmindedly.

"Is there….something in your mind? You have been moodified recently, and we have not been going out so often. Even just now… half of the time your mind is elsewhere. Is something wrong?" She asked as she placed a hand on his arm.

Fiyero looked at Galinda. He was surprised that Galinda had noticed his mood. He had thought of her as a ditzy blonde, but obviously she was more perceptive than he thought. In a way, he was glad that she had raised this topic.

Fiyero took a deep breath and led her to a bench nearby.

"Galinda," he started. "You are a great girlfriend. You are beautiful, funny and thoughtful. You are everything a guy wanted. I am the envy of so many guys here in Shiz because I am dating you. I have a great time with you. But…"

"I'm sorry but I don't feel the same way anymore." The words came out finally.

Galinda's eyes widened when she realised what the prince was trying to say.

"Did I do something wrong, Fifi?" she asked, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes started to pool.

Fiyero shook his head. "It's not you, Galinda. It's me. The fault is with me. I have done something wrong."

He reached out for her hand but Galinda stood up and fled.

Fiyero ran after her, but the blonde was so fast even though she was on heels, and she slammed the door just when Fiyero reached her room, narrowly missing his nose.

He knocked on the door.

"Galinda dear, please open up!"

He could only hear her muffled sobs.

"Please. I'm sorry, but I cannot lie to you anymore."

He thought he heard something like 'go away' but he could not be sure.

"Galinda, please. Please open the door. I want.. I need to know that you are alright."

He heard the sound of something heavy being thrown against the door in the room and jerked reflexively.

He moved back to the door cautiously after a while. "Galinda?"

There was no response. Even the sobs had seemingly stopped.

He stood there, not knowing for how long, until he heard a series of footsteps along the corridor. They stopped next to him.

He turned and saw Boq and Milla.

"Did you guys quarrel?" Boq asked uncertainly as he subconsciously wrapped his arm around Milla.

Fiyero looked at his roommate and sighed.

"I think I just broke up with Galinda."


End file.
